Leading sparkling wine producer Henkell Freixenet will arrive at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference (29 September – 4 October) under a new brand identity.

Henkell and Freixenet, known for their respective prowess across the international wines & spirits markets, fused together on 1 August 2018 to become what they say is the world’s largest sparkling wine producer.

In a statement, the firm says it can offer customers ‘global expertise and a unique range of top sparkling wine and spirits brands’.

“The alliance opens new markets and distribution channels for Henkell Freixenet and promotes long-term growth, thus creating lasting value for customers, employees and shareholders,” read a statement.

DEDICATED GTR TEAM

The company says global travel retail remains an important market.

Drawing on data from The IWSR, Henkell Freixenet says 19.3m bottles of sparkling wine were sold in the sector in 2018, placing it 22^nd in worldwide sparkling wine consumption on a country basis.

Key priorities include consolidating its market presence in Europe, while growing share in Asia and North America.

To that end, Henkell Freixenet has created a dedicated team to develop its global travel retail portfolio, which includes Henkell Cuvée Unique, Freixenet Prosecco DOCG and Freixenet Pinot Noir Sparkling.

All are designed exclusively for global travel retail, with a strong onus on packaging and design to aid in upselling to operators.

Visitors to TFWE will discover brands such as Mionetto, Henkell and Freixenet, which showcase at the same stand for the first time in travel retail in Cannes.

Contained in the Henkell range is the Henkell Piccolo 5-Pack and aforementioned Henkell Cuvée Unique. The latter has been sold exclusively with Gebr. Heinemann at duty free and travel retail outlets since November 2018.

AWARD WIN PROMPTS NEW LAUNCH…

Mionetto prosecco was relaunched in March last year with a more contemporary profile.

“While Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut from the Prestige Line is the worldwide hero of the portfolio, Henkell Freixenet focuses on the Avantgarde as well as the Luxury Line for GTR specifically,” said the company.

Another travel retail exclusive is the Freixenet Cordon Negro Gran Cuvée, described as ‘a very modern and refreshing cava, which is aged between 12 and 18 months’.

Freixenet Pinot Noir Rosé was an esteemed winner in the Best Wines Product category at the consumer-voted Travel Retail Awards 2019.

The wine, which was launched following the success of its predecessor Freixenet Prosecco, earned the plaudits from 5,000 independent travellers and consumer bloggers and vloggers (video bloggers).

One factor in the award was the product’s appeal among younger consumers interested in making their first introductions into the world of sparkling wines.

Following this success, Henkell Freixenet intends to launch Mionetto in a special five-pack format, ideal for gifting, as its total volume comes in at under one litre.

To view the full list of winners at the Travel Retail Awards, which took place at the Conrad Centennial Hotel on Monday 13 May, click here. For a full photo gallery from the evening, click here.

Henkell Freixenet can be found exhibiting at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference at J5-7, Red Village.